Those of us with a passing interest in Northern Irish military history might be aware of the anti-landing poles along Murlough Beach, County Down. Now a shadow of their former selves, they would have likely been connected by wire entanglement, and an assortment of other irksome obstacles preventing or hindering flat bottomed boats or aircraft from landing on the flat expanse of beach. A similar treatment was administered to many other beaches across the country.
One other such beach to receive a defensive plan, was Magilligan Strand; the Sandy beach on the south side of Magilligan Point, County Londonderry. The remains scattered along the beach today include intriguing rusty shards such as this steel spike embedded in a foundation of concrete. Designed to puncture a boats’ hull or injure soldiers jumping off landing craft, it could still inflict serious damage 80 years on.
Also found on the beach are remains of beach scaffolding and coils of barbed wire.